Chapter 5
"Ravja, what are you doing here?" she replied voice low and threatening.
"Admiring the scenery," he said suggestions heavy in his voice as he grabbed for her. She moved nimbly out of his way placing a cut on his arm for his troubles and spat in his face.
"Temper, temper, my lady" he said calmly wiping his face paying no head to his arm.
"I'm not your lady," she growled
"Then I guess you haven't reconsidered my offer?"
"I never considered it to begin with so I guess it would be hard to reconsider."
"Feisty tonight aren't we" he made another grab but this time she couldn't get completely out of his way and he held her wrist and preceded to take the knife from captive fingers.
"Go to Hell." She tried to pull free but his grip tightened. She was just about to educate him as to some of the more painful parts of the human anatomy with the knife in her boot when she heard a voice.
"Let her go." it was low almost a growl. Her Millow who had been perched on her shoulder through the whole scene chose that moment to deliver a stinging blow to Ravja's cheek, bless his heart. It was all she needed his grip loosened and she pulled free yet another knife in hand. That idiotic man was going to get them both killed.
Noticing the escape of his captive Ravja turned again to recapture her when he heard a click hiss behind him. He turned in time to block the first stroke. His attention shifted off of her to Chade standing behind him brandishing some kind of laser sword.
Curse all men and their idiotic ways she thought a blaster would have finished him nicely. Only she noticed as a third figure emerged from the shadows in the same black robe and hood as Ravja but it did not move to attack instead it just stood there. Both combatants froze in mid swing.
"That will be enough I want him alive." this came from the hooded man in a voice like snakes passing through the dead leaves. Ravja's laser sword switched off as he turned once again to her. Run. It was not her thought but somebody else's still in was a good suggestion and she turned to act on it.
Invisible hands reached for her and she shrugged them off but that was all the hesitation that was needed powerful hands grabbed both her wrists as she turned to kick him. She heard a voice from the shadows.
"Let her go." the hooded man drawled slowly considering.
"Yes Master" his grip relaxed and he let her go. Ravja's reply had surprised and puzzled her she stood shocked as Invisible hands once again grip her. She looked at Ravja and caught his eye the hunger was still there but there was something else also something she couldn't identify. The shock passed and she became aware of her new restraint. She fought with everything she had but the force restraining her was strong and it hurt her to fight. Something hit her and the world went black.
She awoke on a cold floor with a splitting headache. When she raised her arms to grab her head she realized she was restrained. Damn she thought to herself. She took inventory of her surroundings a cargo hold completely empty of anything she could use to get off the horrid metal cuffs holding her wrists. Chade was nowhere in sight. Damn and double damn she thought as she attempted to sit up. Bad idea she was instantly back on the ground in pain from her head. When her vision cleared she noticed the hooded man from last night standing in the doorway. He came completely into the room the door closing behind him.
"Your awake now I take it." he said in his hiss like voice.
"Where am I." she demanded "and where's the man that was with me?"
The hooded figure chuckled, a ruthless sound not at all like Numiar's fatherly chuckle.
"On my ship and not in this room" he replied in a voice that said he provided this information because it pleased him not because she had asked. "Ravja's with him now. I thought it better not to tempt him yet. He will have his use of you later but not yet." A wave of outrage swept through her but he continued without notice. "I hope your head's not bothering you too much" he chuckled again then sobered "Lesson one resistance is futile." He grabbed her with the force. Instinctively she fought the restraint. Pain lased through her she grasped for breath momentarily submitting then fought again this time with all her outrage and fear behind her hoping to break free.
The pain nearly knocked her out as she lay panting on the floor his voice said, "You have anger that is good. This will be only as long and painful as you make it. Submit." he said the first part cheerfully but growled the last word. Even if she had wanted to she could not stop fighting it the hands seized her again and she fought harder then ever hoping to knock herself out but he would not allow her to lose consciousness. "You have spirit. I see why my apprentice choose you. You will not submit easily but you will submit in the end." he sighed not in regret but in ecstasy. It disgusted her, she fought once more as he took hold of her. Again and again in an endless cycle of pain. Every once in a while he would stop to comment.
Eventually, hours or days latter she could not be sure, she could no longer physically fight him. When next he attacked her she could do nothing but let him.
"Ah, she submits in body but the mind still rebels. That will follow in time. An interesting talent you have Lillianna Kattan and not even slightly force sensitive too. A pity." He took hold of her again and she could only lie there he explored her fully every fiber of her being nothing was left hers.
Pleasure soaked her senses an intense pulsing pleasure filled her being. Then he left her alone. She felt filthy, soiled in every possible way. She had submitted or might as well have and he had rewarded her for it. Disgust filled her very soul. He intended to break her and he would succeed. She had to get out of here.
Slowly, when she was able, she rose and began examining her surrounding running her fingers along the doorframe hoping to find some kind of touch pad. After giving up on that she headed over to the next wall hoping to discover something there. A sound caught her attention as the door opened and to her intense relief Millow strolled in meowing.
"You silly cat" she said with affection "how'd you get here." Then she noticed the door still stood open it had not closed after the cats' entrance. She got painfully to her feet and crept cautiously toward the door, Millow followed. She looked out into the hall. Empty, for the moment anyways. She leaned against the doorframe. "So, where's Chade?" she asked the cat without much hope of reply. To her surprise the cat took off down the corridor. "This is no time to be exploring," she whispered fiercely after the roaming feline but followed nonetheless.
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It was on the other side of the ship that Chade had been roughly thrown into a compartment shortly after they came aboard. He was well restrained having hand tied tightly behind his back and bound in steal. They had striped him of all weapons and left him on the cold floor. A short while later the man Tess had called Ravja returned "I just got back from a visit with your little whore. She was very good." he sneered as he kicked Chade hard in the ribs and proceeded to tell him exactly what he had done to her and that if he was good he might let him watch next time. His speech interrupted every once in a while by a kick or a punch.
Then the questioning started, but of course he refused to respond, after every question silently thinking: If you've hurt her I'll kill you. Eventually his antagonist left leaving him alone to contemplate what he had inadvertently learned. He jerked his head up at the sound of his door re-opening.
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They stared at each for a moment in disbelief Tess regained her composure first and went over to him.
"Are you alright? You look awful," she said to him. Chade noticed her hands where still restrained and asked
"I'm fine. How'd you get out?" Idiotic man did he think she was blind that she could not see his hurts.
"No your not. Millow opened the door."
"Tess I'm so sorry." he said without warning.
"Shut up! We have to get out of here," she said harshly.
"Do you have anything we can use to get our hands free? They took everything of mine before the put me in here." he said in perfect control of the situation now.
"Um. No. Wait let me see. Yes… they missed one. There's a small knife in my shirt." she managed a crude smile. "Well at least we know Ravja didn't search me because that would have been the first one he found."
"You mean he didn't...I mean you weren't..." he trailed off.
" No. I wasn't but can you pick the lock with the knife because you're going to half to get it. My hands are behind my back."
He blushed fiercely, an amazing feat through the black and blue of his face. "This is no time to go shy on me. I want out of here." She knelt facing him and he turned around so he could reach her. Despite what she had told him it took every ounce of her strength to allow him to reach the knife. He liked it no better than she but eventually the small pocketknife came out.
"I'll do you first. Stand up and give me your hands." He worked the little knife around till eventually they heard a double click. Her hands free she took a second to rub feeling back into her wrist and took the knife from him. Looking at it she exclaimed
"Damn! It's broken off in the lock. I don't think it will work."
"That's fine at least one of us if free. Let's go I think I know where they keep the tug boat."
He led the way down the deserted corridor toward their freedom but half way down a corridor he stopped. "Open that door and see if you can find our weapons." she complied and found all of her knifes laid out on a table but they where unable to locate his gear. She quickly replace the knifes in their proper places. Chade saw them disappear all over her body "Geez woman, remind me never to get in a knife fight with you."
They continued their way down the corridor and she picked up a stray piece of pipe for him to use as a walking staff. Turning once more down a corridor the final one by his calculations they were spotted by Ravja. He looked at them and smiled maliciously. "I was just looking for you Lilli it seems you were not in your rooms." a knife appeared in her hand and Chade cursed his own lack of weapons. "So you want to fight. Good" he pulled out his own laser sword and she threw her knife. It defected off his blade harmlessly and headed back toward her she dodged. "This doesn't seem very fare does it. Here" he messed with the handle of the laser. She looked back at Chade or rather at the staff in his hand he handed it to her as she put down Millow.
Chade was distressed there was very little hope in this situation he was just toying with them. She could never beat him with a piece of rusty pipe no matter how low he set his weapon. She crouched into a fighting stance but he only said, "Why don't you just give up and come back to your room with me. Save yourself some pain." when she showed no sign of complying he sighed and fell on her with his light saber.
She had fought with a staff before knew it's strengths and weaknesses and he was over confident sure that he already had her. Not while I'm still breathing she though fiercely. Then he attacked. She sent the staff whirling alternating between blocking and attacking
"So my Lilli has learned a few new tricks but not enough." he taunted. She continued fighting connecting frequently. He still thinks he's toying with me she thought to herself. She increased her attack and he finally realized he was not the one in control here. His style changed from sloppy indulgence to a well-calculated assault. She began to lose ground she backed off faking fatigue hoping he would once again become reckless. He did. Once she was sure he thought he had her she sent the staff whirling for one last attack. Knocking his feet from under him and connecting a nasty blow to the head.
When she finished he lay there unconscious at her feet she bent to check his pulse, still alive. A shame she though as she spat on his face then turned to Chade with the keys she had taken off his unconscious form along with the bizarre weapon of Chade's. The binders were removed quickly.
"This way" he said turning they ran and limped as fast as they could toward the hanger. The only thing in sight was a droid, which was quickly dispatched by Chade.
In the hanger they found 3 of the small ships that worked as both escape vessels and transports for the larger ship. Dodging behind several large crates they managed to make it to the nearest of the ships Chade quickly starting up and blasted thought the bay doors before the mechanics had time to do more then fire random blaster shots and the escaping ship. As soon as they were in space Chade began preparations for their jump to hyperspace. The mother ship opened fire as Chade evaded the best he could. Several of the shots connected and sparks flew everywhere then they where in hyperspace.
"Where is the damage?" she asked once they had caught their breaths.
"Thrusters, shielding, and landing gear mostly. It's going to be a bumpy landing." he replied automatically.
"Not the ship you numbskull, you!"
"Oh, I'm fine." was all he said.
Men. "No you're not lay down."
"But the ship" he protested
"Will be fine for the next few hours. Now lay down." When he didn't move instantly to obey she ordered in a stern voice. "NOW!" He complied reluctantly, but wisely made no protests.
She set about her examination. She had seen enough bar fights to tell if he had any major damage. As she suspected a couple of broken ribs and many minor cuts and burses scattered all over his body. "What did you do? Let him use you for target practice or something?" she said wryly as she looked for the first aid kit. She found it and began attending his wounds.
He was sound asleep before she was even half through. When she had finished most of his cuts and bruises where crudely healed, although he was still black and blue in most places. The ribs set and bound but they would bother him until they could get them looked at by a doctor she sighed. "I'm fine," she said mockingly as she picked up Millow and sitting down at the helm "Men!" She woke him a few hours later when the alarm signaling their appending arrival went off.
"We're here." she intoned. "Have a nice nap? You should be feeling somewhat better but beware the ribs they'll still be sore." He rubbed his eyes and stretched
"How long before we drop?"
"The alarm went off about 2 min ago." she replied. He limped to the helm and fastened himself in.
"You might want to buckle up its going to be a rough landing."
"I'll go get Millow," she said as she headed back to secure the cat. Coming back forward she put on her own harness and was just about to ask how long when a tremor rocked the ship
"Here we go."
The familiar voice came on overhead, "Welcome to Yavin IV please identify yourself and await clearance." Chade hit the COM.
"This is Chade Narseaa. Our ship is damaged we're coming in. I'm going to try to land it in the fields behind the temple." He switched off the COM and focused on landing. They where thrown about like a ball of yarn in the paws of a particularly agitated feline. As they entered the atmosphere Chade realized they were coming in to fast and to steep for any hope of controlling their landing. He braced himself as the ground approach at a sickening speed.